


Keybending!!

by displayjae, kousanoes



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Avatar: The Last Airbender AU, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:28:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25087669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/displayjae/pseuds/displayjae, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kousanoes/pseuds/kousanoes
Summary: After a two-year trip to the Spirit World, Hinata returns to find his friends in different places than previously expected.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Kageyama Tobio & Tsukishima Kei & Yachi Hitoka & Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20
Collections: SportsFest 2020 Main Round 1





	Keybending!!

**Author's Note:**

> this was written for the first main round of sportsfest 2020, under the prompt 'reunion'! the AU/crossover takes place after the 100 year war has ended, but before the events of LOK. (submission [here](https://sportsfest2020-mr1.dreamwidth.org/1696.html).) 
> 
> huge thanks goes to [displayaje](https://archiveofourown.org/users/displayjae) for the beta and for helping working out the AU. she also made the wonderful art that is embedded in the fic; you can find her on [tumblr](https://displayjae.tumblr.com) and [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/displayjae/)!

There’s about half a field between their team and the goal, Hinata guesses. He’s crouching behind a bush with Yamaguchi next to him. Tsukishima and Kageyama are a few feet away, hiding behind two trees. 

Hinata’s about to dash out and distract the enemy team when Yamaguchi sticks an arm out to stop him. Yamaguchi shakes his head and gestures to Tsukishima, who, frankly, stands out like a sore thumb with his blond hair. 

At Yamaguchi’s nod, Tsukishima takes a deep breath and lifts his arms. There’s a large river on their left, just some of it within the playing field grounds. He steps out of hiding, but it doesn’t matter—the water rises and arcs over onto the enemy team. Hinata pokes his head out of the bush. 

The two opposing firebenders begin blasting away at the wave to keep dry while the other two scatter. It’s not enough, however; once the water makes contact, Tsukishima freezes it. 

Hinata takes that as his cue to rush out. He charges towards the nearest opponent, a firebender. 

The firebender—a sturdy guy—lunges forward, punching out bursts of flame. Hinata just barely manages to dodge them. Yamaguchi immediately earthbends an enclosure around the firebender. 

“Let’s go!” he says, and Hinata grins. 

They follow the plan Yachi helped develop: Yamaguchi spearheads the attack on the right, while Tsukishima does the left. Hinata is the main attraction in the centre while Kageyama follows from behind. Since the route to the first objective, the enemy’s dangling key, is longer on the sides, Kageyama is able to provide cover and force the opponents to move in directions that are beneficial to them. 

Hinata and Kageyama run up the arc of ice that Tsukishima’s first attack left behind. An earthbender and a firebender work together to break the ice from underneath, forcing them to jump off. 

Just as they fall, Tsukishima turns it back to water and uses it to blast his opponent, another earthbender, into a tree. 

Hinata doesn’t linger to watch; he’s got his own problems to face. The firebender jumps into the air, shooting fire at both of them. Kageyama steps forward and effortlessly clears it. He sends a glance at Hinata that can only be understood as _Go_. 

He splits off from Kageyama, sprinting around the firebender who has since landed. The earthbender, with ten boulders floating in the air, slams his hands into the ground and ruptures the earth beneath both Hinata and Kageyama. The ground breaks off into squares that jut out at different heights. 

While Hinata wobbles off-balance, Kageyama wastes no time. He immediately jumps into motion, pushing off the distorted ground. The earthbender retaliates by sending the boulders flying at Kageyama. 

Hinata takes that as his chance to sneak off and attempt to grab the key. He may be the only nonbender on the field—though not the only in the sport—but he’s not useless.

There’s a waterbender guarding the key post. The waterbender draws water from a pouch at his side and whips it at Hinata, but he’s faster. He shifts further to the right and throws a few knives at the waterbender. The knives pins the waterbender’s clothing to the post. Score. 

Hinata leaps towards the dangling key, curling his fingers around it. The firebender Yamaguchi was facing makes an attempt to break off and attack Hinata, but is stopped by a long stream of fire. That’s Kageyama for you. 

When Hinata lands, he takes the key with him. They’re halfway to winning, now. 

Yachi’s voice cuts through his cheer. “Fall back!” she shouts, from just outside the field. “Number four is headed to your chest!” 

Hinata whips his head around, and sure enough, she’s right. Key in hand, the opponent number four, a gangly earthbender, is blowing through their defenses and rapidly approaching their team’s chest. 

Yamaguchi and Tsukishima immediately fall back to fight him off, since they’re the closest. Tsukishima pulls some more water out from the river. He closes his fists, and it turns to ice shards raining down on the earthbender. 

The earthbender manages to continue unscathed. As the ice pierces the ground, Tsukishima melts it. Together, he and Yamaguchi work together to sink the earthbender into the ground.

Because Hinata is unable to provide aid—his throwing accuracy greatly decreases from this distance—he makes his way to the opponent team’s chest. Kageyama, after a moment’s pause, follows. 

Somehow, the waterbender has managed to pry himself free. He pulls water from the plants around them and tries to grab hold of Hinata. 

He manages to slip around the attack. Kageyama can deal with him and the earthbender he was previously occupied with. The opposing firebender has dropped back to help the earthbender, so it’s effectively a two-on-two. 

Now, it’s just a matter of who’s faster. 

Just before Hinata fumbling the chest open, the whistle sounds. That can only mean one thing: the opponent team got their chest open before he did. 

That means it’s the end of the match. That means their team didn’t win. 

* * *

The four of them bow and congratulate the opponent team, as is custom. They trudge back back to Yachi, their manager and greatest supporter, silent. 

Hinata flops down on the ground and lets out a big sigh. 

“Well,” Tsukishima says, “we lost.” 

“It was a good run,” Yachi tries. “You made the semifinals, which is the best you’ve done so far!” 

Kageyama makes a face. “We wanted to win them all,” he says, as if it needed reminding. 

A beat passes, then Yamaguchi groans. He rubs his face with his hands, then says, “Why don’t go get dinner?” _Before we part ways_ is left unsaid, Hinata thinks. 

Nonetheless, everyone agrees, so they scrounge up the energy to get moving. 

* * *

After dinner, they head to Yachi’s place by an unspoken agreement. They won’t be able to come together to play the sport anymore—they’ll be turning 19 next spring, which is too old for the youth league. The professional league is practically nonexistent, too. 

“Y’know,” Hinata says, as they walk, “does this game really have to be our last?” 

“What do you mean?” Yachi asks. The night is cold, and their breath puffs into the air as they speak. The group turns onto Yachi’s road. 

He shrugs. “Maybe we could do something. Something—big. If we turn the pro league into something that’ll garner more attention… If it gives people the option of pursuing keybending for a living, then we could keep playing. We could—reach greater heights, y’know. Get better and face stronger opponents.”

Tsukishima snorts. “Yeah, right.” Yamaguchi elbows him, but Tsukishima continues: “Do I have to remind you that we _lost_? And you think we can—change the world? Make it something special, just for us?” 

They’re silent until Yamaguchi says, “That’s mean, Tsukki. And I don’t think we’re the only people who wanted it to be a thing. There’s lots of other kids who grew up keybending and would probably love to continue. It was tried before, but—” 

Tsukishima shrugs. “But nothing. It didn’t make it through—there weren’t enough investors, there weren’t players good enough to keep people interested. And we’re not going to change that.” 

“That’s—” Yachi says, but Tsukishima cuts her off, tone cold. 

“We’re just a group of teenagers, Yachi. What do you expect us to do?” 

Hinata hums, mulling Tsukishima’s words over. “Kageyama,” he says, watching Kageyama’s head jerk up, “what do _you_ think? You’ve been pretty quiet tonight.” 

Kageyama looks at Hinata for a full second, before frowning and turning away. Finally, he says, “No, I agree with Tsukishima. I don’t think we can do anything.” 

There’s something more there, Hinata thinks, but decides not to push it. It’s been a long day. 

* * *

Yachi unlocks the door and ushers them inside. Hinata and Yachi split off to make tea, while the others head over to the living room. 

“You really like keybending, don’t you?” Yachi says casually, as they wait for the tea to finish. 

Hinata grins. “Yeah,” he says, “I do. And thank you for all your help these past three years.” 

She laughs. “Even though I wasn’t on the field, it taught me I could fight too. And I know that you put a lot of work into it, too. So for what it’s worth, if you want to put the effort into your idea, I think you can do it.” She picks up the teapot and pours it into their cups. Hinata takes the tray. “C’mon, let’s go.” 

In the living room, Kageyama is sprawled across the couch, while Tsukishima and Yamaguchi are piled into the adjacent loveseat. Hinata sets the tray down on the low table between the seats, and him and Yachi squish into the remaining space on the couch. Only half paying attention to the conversation at hand, he tries to shove Kageyama’s legs back into himself with his own legs. Of course, Kageyama refuses to be pushed around and fights back valiantly. 

“What about you, Hinata?” Yamaguchi asks. Hinata blinks and refocuses on the conversation. 

“Sorry, what?” 

Tsukishima snickers. Yachi clarifies, “What are you going to do, after? We’re trying to see if it’s possible to have get-togethers. Yamaguchi’s going to stay here, but I’m going to pursue design in Ba Sing Se.” 

“Ohh,” he says, and stretches back into the couch. “I’m going to the Spirit World.” 

Kageyama chokes on his drink. Yamaguchi makes a sputtering sound. Yachi freezes next to him. Tsukishima eyes him warily and says, “Do I want to know…? You’re not even a bender; how are you going to get there?” 

Hinata shrugs. “My mom did it when she was 18. She says she can get me there.”

“What for?” Yamaguchi asks. 

Hinata rests his head on the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling. “My grandma was the first in our family to do it, I think. She was encouraged to do it to like, reconnect with her culture or something. I dunno much about it, but apparently she made my mom do it too. Even if we won the tournament, I was always planning on going. Hey, d’you think I can get some spirits to teach me to play better? Natsu says it’s impossible, but I bet I can.” 

Yachi tilts her head. “The spirits might not know about keybending specifically,” she says, letting Hinata change the subject, “but I’m sure there’s spirits who can teach you new techniques and how to fight better, or something.”

Hinata grins. “True!” 

“How long are you going to be gone for?” Kageyama cuts in. Hinata turns his head to face him. He looks strangely serious. “When are you leaving?” 

“In a couple days,” Hinata says. “I’m supposed to be gone for… two years, I think? But don’t worry—you guys won’t have seen the last of me! When I come back, I’m gonna drag you all into playing again, like it or not.” 

“Even if we quit?” Tsukishima asks, dryly. 

“Yep!” 

Tsukishima lets out a dramatic groan. Yamaguchi laughs, elbowing Tsukishima and says, “There’s no use pretending, Tsukki. We all know you like hanging out with us.” 

Noticing that Kageyama still hasn’t responded, Hinata turns to him and says, “I still gotta beat you from three years ago, so you better be ready when I come back.” 

That, at least, lets him lighten up a little. Kageyama snorts and grins. “You’re on.” 

It doesn’t last long, however; Hinata can tell Kageyama is more subdued during the rest of the hangout. 

* * *

**Two Years Later**

Hinata slides off the giant bear-spirit he befriended as it slows to a stop. They’re halfway up a small mountain; the one that mirrors the mountain that Hinata’s family lives on, in fact. He pats the bear-spirit’s head in thanks for taking him this far, and the bear-spirit soon trots off. 

He settles down on the ground, crossing his legs. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He focuses his energy and tries to remember the instructions his grandmother left him: think of the destination, and think of the life there. 

There’s a rustling sound to his left, from the bushes around him. Without needing to open his eyes, Hinata can tell there are spirits there—hostile ones, maybe. He’s not sure. But he can’t lose focus or he’ll miss his chance to return home. 

Soon, a rushing sound overtakes his hearing. Even though he is seated, he feels as though he is losing his balance; the world spins around him, and the ground rumbles beneath him.

Then, it is all quiet. Hinata opens his eyes: he’s back in the real world. It’s dark out, so it takes a moment for his eyes to adjust, but once it does, he recognizes the scenery. He’s not too far from home. 

Once at home, his mother opens the door. Her face lights up seeing him and throws her arms open. Hinata wastes no time in hugging her. 

“Shouyou!” she exclaims. “We’ve missed you. C’mon—let me reheat some leftovers and you can tell us about your adventures.” 

Hinata beams and follows her inside. He takes a seat on the floor cushion. “How’s Natsu?” 

“She’s sleeping,” she says, passing him a bowl before settling down in front of him. “She’s been super excited to see you again—I can’t wait for the chaos you two will make tomorrow.” 

He laughs. They talk late into the night, with Hinata describing the spirits he met and the things he learned with energy unbefitting of the time. 

The next day goes as his mother expected; he and Natsu goof around and catch up. The day after, Hinata finds himself pushed to visit his friends. 

“Yamaguchi is still in town,” his mother says, encouragingly. “He’s working for the local renovation business, you know. He’s been a great help these past few years.” 

“I’ve only been gone for two,” Hinata says, but doesn’t protest further. He was always intending on finding them again, of course. 

So after a hearty breakfast, Hinata heads over to Yamaguchi’s parents’ place—surely Yamaguchi’s parents will be able to tell him whether or not he moved out. 

Fortunately, Yamaguchi is the one to open the door. “Hinata!” Yamaguchi exclaims. He steps out of the house to give Hinata a hug. “You’re back! How’ve you been? How was the Spirit World?” 

Hinata laughs, loud and bright. “I’m back! It was great—I met some ancestors and some real friendly spirits. They _were_ pretty good at teaching, you know.” 

Yamaguchi’s smile widens, looking delighted. “Oh? They knew how to keybend?” 

“Well, no,” he admits, “but they did teach me some new techniques I’d love to test out. And their reflexes—wow! Not all of ‘em were that friendly, so I had to adapt. Hey, are you still playing? Mom said you got a job with the Lus.” 

Yamaguchi chuckles and rubs the back of his head. “Yeah! Yeah, I did. I’m not playing though—I think Tsukki is the only one who is.” 

Hinata blinks. While it isn’t that surprising for Yamaguchi to have quit, it _is_ a bit surprising that Tsukishima didn’t. And even more than that… “Kageyama’s not?” 

His smile grows strained. “Well,” he says, “it’s a bit complicated. We haven’t really seen much of him at all, since you left.” 

Huh. OK. 

Yamaguchi continues, “If you want to stay over for an hour or so, you’ll get to see Yachi, though. She sent a messenger bird a few days ago.”

* * *

Yamaguchi invites Hinata inside and they settle by the dining table. Their house is much like how Hinata last remembered it: relatively small, but very cozy. 

When the doorbell rings, Hinata bolts upright. “Lemme open the door,” he says. “I bet it’ll surprise her.”

Yamaguchi acquiesces, looking vaguely amused. 

Sure enough, Yachi is at the door. Hinata opens the door with a shriek “Boo!” She clasps her hands over her mouth to muffle her surprised scream. 

“How long have you been back for?” she asks, once she’s gotten over the shock. “Did Yamaguchi just forget to tell me?” 

Hinata shakes his head. “Nah, it was just a coincidence. Well, my mom might’ve had a hand in it; she told me to visit today, after all.” He steps aside to let her in, and they head back to the dining room. “What’ve you been up to? Yamaguchi said you’re working in Ba Sing Se now—how long are you staying?” 

“Just a few days,” she answers. “My work got me invited to the party in a week, so I have to go see if there are any possible clients. I’m sort of following in my mom’s footsteps, I guess you could say, doing some fashion design and stuff.” Before Hinata can respond, they pass through the door into the dining room, and she snaps her fingers upon seeing Yamaguchi. “Oh! Did Tsukishima tell you his request to meet with the royal family got accepted?” 

Yamaguchi jerks. “What? No. That’s great! When’d that happen?” 

“Not too long ago,” she says, sliding into a seat across from him. “Apparently the guy he met at his museum event had some say in the matter or something and helped him through the process.” 

“Wait,” Hinata cuts in, “what’s this? Why’s Tsukishima meeting with the royal family? I didn’t think they would meet with just anybody.” 

They exchange a look. What? He’s not wrong. It seems that even after the war ended, the royal family’s paranoia hadn’t quite evaporated. While they met with various nobles and businesspeople, they rarely showed their face in public, much less set up private meetings with people who should be strangers. 

Yamaguchi hums. “Well,” he says, “we’re not entirely too sure. And I guess it’s not the royal family as a whole—just the prince. But I think Tsukki’s trying to revive keybending.”  
  


Hinata blinks. “Revive it?” 

“Remember when you said you wanted to build a pro league, or something?” Yachi asks. 

“And Tsukishima was super against it? Yeah.” 

“Well, I guess he wasn’t _that_ against it, because I’m pretty sure that’s what he’s trying to do.” 

“Wait, really?” 

Yamaguchi nods. “He hasn’t been super talkative about it,” he says. “He keeps saying nothing’s set in stone, but I guess if he manages to talk to the royal family about it, it’s got a pretty good chance of happening. Hey, Yachi, do you know when Tsukishima will be meeting him?”  
  


She purses her lips as she thinks. “In five or six days or so, I think…? He told me in person, so I don’t have anything to double-check with, but I think it was around this time next week.” 

Hinata hums as an idea begins to form in his head. Finally, he decides to ask, “And if Kageyama’s not playing anymore, is he helping Tsukishima…?” It doesn’t really sit right with him to have Kageyama _not_ playing, he thinks. It doesn’t really fit. 

Yachi winces. “He disappeared like a week after you left,” she says. “He didn’t leave a message or tell us where he was going, or anything. So I guess he _could_ still be playing, but it’s pretty unlikely, since Tsukishima hasn’t run into him.” 

“And he’s not the one who helped Tsukishima meet with the prince?” 

“No?” Yamaguchi answers, clearly confused. “I don’t think so—Tsukki probably would’ve said.” 

* * *

A couple days later, Yachi announces that she’s returning to Ba Sing Se. “I’ve got to get back soon,” she says, apologetically, “so I should be going. It was great seeing you two again! I’ll send a messenger hawk if I get more time off. And if you’re ever in Ba Sing Se, let me know! I’d be happy to show you around.”

“If you’re heading back to Ba Sing Se right now,” Hinata jumps in, “why don’t I come with you? I’ve been meaning to go there shortly after I got back, anyway.” By ‘meaning’, of course, he only means ‘decided in the last couple of days’, but that’s inconsequential. 

Yamaguchi blinks. He looks at Hinata rather suspiciously, which… is completely fair. He knows the sort of antics Hinata’s gotten into over the years—sneaking their team into practice matches and tournaments, unnecessarily antagonizing others, and the like. 

Regardless, Yachi says, “Sure! What are your plans in Ba Sing Se?” 

“I’m gonna see some sights, and visit Tsukishima since he’s there.” 

Yamaguichi’s eyes widen, and he raises his hands in alarm. “No. Oh, no.” Yachi looks like she’s about to ask why, but he elaborates: “You’re _not_ going to sneak into the palace to meet the royal family. Or meddle with Tsukki’s plans.” 

Yachi blanches. 

“Hey!” Hinata protests. “I’m very convincing.”

Hesitantly, she says, “It’s true that if Hinata goes, he can show that there are more people interested in pro-keybending.” 

“Yeah,” Yamaguchi agrees, “but Tsukishima definitely has it handled. And we all know that while Hinata doesn’t _intend_ to cause trouble, it often has a way of finding him. You really don’t want the _royal family_ to be mad at you.” 

“Nah,” Hinata says brightly, “I’ll be fine. Besides, if you’re that worried about me getting thrown in jail, you can just come along!” 

* * *

Just as they’re in line to get tickets to Ba Sing Se, Hinata says, “You know you don’t have to come with me, right?” 

Yachi shrugs and gives him a lopsided grin. “Who’s going to talk you out of jail if I don’t come? You’re gonna get caught by guards or something and have to lie your way out of it.”

“…You’re pretty bad at lying too, Yachi. And I don’t think Yamaguchi’s that great at it, either.”

“No, but with me around, you’ll blend in a little better, at least. And I can grab us some disguises or something from the shop. Yamaguchi’s coming ‘cause he’s like, the Tsukishima whisperer.”

“Hey!” Yamaguchi protests. “I told you to stop saying that.” 

She smiles unapologetically. “I’m sure you’ll come in handy if Tsukishima finds out about this.” 

* * *

As agreed, they stop by Yachi’s store first. It’s closed, but she has the key. She disappears into the back and comes out with an armful of clothes. She dumps them onto the checkout counter and begins separating them. 

“So here’s the plan: I’m going to take my invitation and head in. I don’t think I’m allowed to bring a plus-one, so you’ll have to stay near the entrance so I can sneak you in. Somehow. You’ll be dressed up as palace servants—I don’t have exactly what they’ll be wearing, but we can make do.” 

Hinata picks up the shirt she offers him. It feels very silky. He glances over at Yamaguchi, who says, “Sounds like our best bet. What about after we get in? We’ll probably be able to find the prince ‘cause it’s his sister’s birthday, but Tsukki?” 

Hinata shrugs. “If we can’t find Tsukishima, we can just ask the prince. I’m sure he’ll be nice enough to tell us.” 

Yachi makes a face. “Only if their negotiations were on good terms,” she points out. “He might get mad and kick us out.” 

Hinata laughs. “I’m sure it’ll be fine! We can figure it out as we go. C’mon, I’m excited—we’re going to meet the prince! And Tsukishima!” 

* * *

Yamaguchi and Hinata hide behind a rather conspicuous boulder beside the lineup in front of the front gates. Yachi, dressed to the nines, is in the line. They watch as she approaches the front and passes her invitation to a guard. 

After a brief check, they let her in. Good—that’s the first step of the plan down. 

All that’s left for Hinata and Yamaguchi to do is to wait for the line to disappear. Ideally, some of the guards will head inside as well. Then, Yachi will come to an exit—she might have an escort, but should push come to shove, Hinata’s sure he can take them out—and sneak them inside to the party. 

It’s a great plan, except for the fact that the line has long since disappeared and the sun has set and Yachi _still_ hasn’t found them. 

“We should circle the wall,” Hinata whispers to Yamaguchi. “She might’ve gotten caught up in something. We can just jump over where there’s no guards.” 

“No,” Yamaguchi whispers back, “that’s dangerous and we’ll definitely get caught.” 

“But we’re gonna run out of time if Yachi doesn’t appear!” 

Yamaguchi suppresses a sigh. Finally, he says, “OK, put on the cloaks Yachi gave us. We can shove them into a garden bush once we’re inside and pretend to be servants.” 

Hinata nods. Yes! 

So they sneak around the wall, eventually finding a blind spot between the posted guards. 

“I think it’s clear,” Yamaguchi whispers. “Do you need a boost?” 

Hinata shakes his head. “I can make it up—it’s not too tall. Just be careful that your earthbending isn’t too loud.” He takes a few steps back, then runs at the wall. 

He leaps up, scrambles for a good grip, and begins to climb. Once he’s swung a leg over the top of the wall, Yamaguchi runs forward and earthbend-launches himself over the wall. 

The earthbending itself does not startle the guards, but the loud “OOF” from Yamaguchi’s landing does. Oops. Hinata hurriedly slides down the wall to join Yamaguchi.

They can hear the guards’ shouting—“Who was that?!”—when Yamaguchi yanks Hinata into a nearby bush. 

They hold their breaths, waiting for the guards to quiet down. One says, “You guys stay here. I’ll head in real quick and alert Mushi.” There’s a grunt and footsteps, so they wait in the bush until it passes. 

Finally, Yamaguchi says, “I think he’s gone. I can’t sense anything. Let’s ditch our cloaks here and go.” 

* * *

It’s rather easy to find the main party building with the way it radiates light. Yamaguchi earthbends a path to the reception room and they manage to sneak in to the very back. At the front, of course, is the royal family’s table, which is surprisingly empty, save for the Princess.

“I can’t see much from back here,” Yamaguchi says, trying to see over all the heads. “Grab a tray of drinks from one of the stands back there, and let’s try to move closer to the front. Keep an eye out for Yachi, I guess.” 

Hinata nods. “It’ll be quicker if we split up a bit.” 

“Yeah. Don’t stray too far, though.” 

They weave their way through the gossiping nobles. Yachi is actually the first to spot them—she excuses herself from the people she was talking to and takes a drink off Hinata’s tray. 

“Hey!” he says. Yachi pauses, then takes two more drinks. 

“For my coworkers,” she explains. “Sorry I couldn’t get you in faster—I wasn’t allowed to leave. They’re tighter on security than I previously thought. Did Yamaguchi make it in OK?” 

“Yeah. He’s just over there.” Hinata says, gesturing with one hand. He decides to leave out the part about them almost getting caught. 

A tall flash of blond hair moves at the corner of his eye, and Hinata spins to follow it. He can only see the person’s back, but the posture and the height… it’s got to be Tsukishima. 

“There he is!” Hinata exclaims, immediately giving the remaining drink on his tray to a confused Yachi. “I think I found Tsukishima, but he just left the room. You meet up with Yamaguchi and come after us, OK?” 

He darts off, passing the tray to a bewildered servant with the excuse “Bathroom emergency, sorry!” before following Tsukishima. He’s about to call up for him to wait, before realizing that it might blow his cover. 

It doesn’t take long for Yachi and Yamaguchi to catch up to him. Together, they follow Tsukishima through the palace. 

Tsukishima’s a fast walker, though, because the distance between them steadily grows wider. Soon enough, when Hinata rounds a corner, Tsukishima is no longer in sight. 

“Hey!” a loud, deep voice shouts, and they freeze. “What are you three doing?” 

Hinata turns. It’s a guard. There’s another just a step behind him. 

He meets Yamaguchi’s eyes. “Bathroom break,” he croaks out. Yachi surreptitiously covers her face with her fan. 

The first guard raises an eyebrow. “All three of you? The bathrooms aren’t even in this wing.” 

Yachi lets a soft exhale and closes her fan. She squares her shoulders, takes a step forward, and offers the guards a polite bow. “Sorry for inconveniencing you,” she says, and Hinata can’t tell if the waver in her voice is genuine or merely an act. “I asked these two gentlemen to take me to the washroom so I could… brush up just a little, you see, I have to meet—well, the story is, we got lost. If you could kindly point us in the right direction, we would be very grateful…?” 

Yamaguchi smiles, looking embarrassed. “We’re both very new here, so we figured two guides are better than one. But we must’ve taken a wrong turn or two somewhere.” Hinata punctuates Yamaguchi’s statement with a nod. 

The guard narrows his eyes, looking skeptical, then sighs. “If you go head back from where you came, take the next two lefts, and walk straight for long enough you should find the washrooms. Don’t get lost again,” and this he directs to Yachi, “and maybe pick someone who actually knows their way around to guide you next time.” 

They bow and say their thanks. Just as they’ve turned around and begun to take a few steps, the second guard says, “Hey, is that a leaf in your—” before being shushed by the first guard. 

“Remember the intruders, Mushi—?” the first guard whispers. 

Yamaguchi whirls around. He stomps his feet and a wall protrudes from the ground, separating them. He grabs Yachi and Hinata before taking off. 

“What did you do that for?!” Yachi yelps as they round the corner they came from. “They’re gonna think we want to assassinate the king, or something!” 

A loud _thump_ interrupts Yamaguchi’s response. 

One of the guards broke through Yamaguchi’s wall and is now following them. The other guard took off in the opposite direction, calling out for backup. 

A couple hallways later, Hinata spares a quick glance backwards—the backup caught up and are all chasing them now. They’ve nearly caught up distance-wise, too. 

Without any further thought, Hinata turns around and plants his feet to the ground. He slides a few knives into his palms, and in one quick motion, throws them at the guards. 

“What are you—” Yamaguchi begins, turning around as well. Yachi stops running just a moment after. 

“I’m gonna hold ‘em off for a moment!” 

Of course, it isn’t that easy. The earthbending guard from before breaks off a part of the adjacent wall to protect themselves from the knives, before tossing it aside. Hinata suppresses a wince—those were high quality knives. A second guard charges forward with a punch and a hearty shout, sending a large rock flying at him. 

Still, his knives did their job: now, Hinata is within hitting range. What a perfect moment to show what he learned in the Spirit World, right? 

He jumps to the side, dodging the rock. It’s with just a bit too much energy, though; he nearly crashes to the palace walls. But he manages to get his feet under him and pushes off the wall—before the guards use it to their advantage—and sends himself flying at them. 

He lands between the six of them, quickly springing back up on his feet. His momentum carries him forward; a flurry of precise blows later, he temporarily blocks the earthbenders’ chi flows. 

That should be good enough for now. He darts back before the non-benders can impale him with their spears. Once there’s a couple feet between them, Yamaguchi earthbends up another wall holding the guards back. 

“Good work!” Yachi says. “Now let’s get going!” 

He sprints to catch up with Yamaguchi and Yachi. Just as he turns right in the T-intersection, however, he runs headfirst into Tsukishima. 

At first, when Hinata stumbles back to apologize, he doesn’t recognize the person as Tsukishima. He’s changed the most out of all the friends Hinata’s seen this far—his hair is now long enough to be put in a bun, and he’s dressed in formal robes with a braided belt, presumably for the party. 

Tsukishima, however, does not falter. He clicks his tongue and says, “What are you guys doing here?” He silently surveys them—they’re all a little out of breath and dirtied from their multiple run-ins with the guards. He narrows his eyes. “Did you _break in_?” 

“Umm,” Hinata says, then promptly changes the subject. “It’s great to see you after two years! How’s it been? You’re not surprised I’m back?” 

“No—wait, hold on—what are you doing here? For what horrid reason did you break into the Earth Palace? Yamaguchi?” 

Yamaguchi shrugs. He sends a nervous glance backwards, then grins and says, “How’d the meeting with the Earth Prince go?” 

“Met the Princess too,” he says offhandedly, then refocuses. “Seriously, answer the question.” 

Fortunately (or unfortunately?), they’re saved from having to answer by the palace guards. 

“Halt!” one guard shouts. The ground swivels and swallows Hinata’s feet. It pulls him down into a squatting position. A quick glance around tells him Yamaguchi and Yachi are in no better of a situation. 

The two guards Hinata incapacitated are nowhere to be found, and they’re missing another from the count. However, more guards come in from behind Tsukishima, outnumbering them once more. 

“What did you even _do_ ,” Tsukishima hisses under his breath. Without waiting for an answer, he elbows his way to the front of the group. Before he can even speak to the guards, though, the ground opens beneath him, too. He grits his teeth and asks, “May I ask what happened here?” 

The guard eyes Tsukishima’s rather fancy attire, then Yachi’s. “Nothing for you to worry about, sir,” he settles on saying. “These hooligans simply broke in.” 

Tsukishima raises an eyebrow. “Broke in?” he repeats. “That’s…”  
  


“Quite dangerous, yes. So if you wouldn’t mind, please head back to the main hall. There’s nothing for you to worry about here, sir.” 

“I see,” Tsukishima answers, scarily calm. Hinata tries jerking in the earth’s grip while the guards are busy, but it’s no use. Yamaguchi has his hands pressed flat against the floor. “Well, unconventional methods aside, I can assure you these three meant no harm.” 

“You know them? Well, regardless of intent, they _did_ cause damage to the palace. And they broke standard procedure. And lied to us. So we must take them in—and you too, just in case.” 

Tsukishima makes a noise from the back of his throat. After a moment, he shrugs, as if to say _I tried_. 

The guards closest to them shackles their hands together.

There’s nothing more to do. Hinata sends an apologetic look at Yachi. 

Tentatively, she asks, “What’s going to happen to us…?” 

One guard snorts. “Shouldn’t you have thought about that _before_ breaking in?” 

And then a new voice behind Hinata demands, “ _Who_ broke in?” Well, it’s not entirely new, because isn’t that—?

The guards’ faces blanch and the unoccupied ones hastily straighten to bow. 

“It’s the Prince…!” the guard at Hinata’s back whispers, absently lowering his naginata. 

“There were three citizens who… illegally entered the palace, Your Highness, but don’t worry! We have it covered!” the first guard says. 

Wait, the Prince? Hinata whirls around to look. 

“Ah,” the prince says, stepping forward. “Then you—” 

It takes a full second for Hinata to blurt and interrupt the ongoing conversation with “Kageyama?!” 

He blinks, and one side of his mouth quirks up. “Hinata, you’re back.” If he sounds absurdly pleased, well. Hinata can’t blame him. 

* * *

Kageyama convinces—well, more like orders—the guards to leave the five of them alone. Hinata doesn’t miss the nasty glares sent their way. 

There’s more important things to focus on, however, because he still hasn’t gotten over the, y’know, ‘Kageyama being a prince’ part.

“So, you’re the prince of the Earth Kingdom.” 

“That’s what I said. Three times.” 

“How?” 

“Because I was born into it? Dumbass.” 

“No, but—” Hinata pauses, trying to properly articulate his thoughts. “But you’re a firebender.” 

From the way Kageyama stiffens, he can tell that was a misstep. Oops. “Yes,” Kageyama says, tone flat. “I know.” 

“So why didn’t you tell us?” Hinata asks, changing directions. 

Yamaguchi pipes up, “Yeah, you too, Tsukki! You said you met him! There’s no way you didn’t know!” 

“I didn’t tell him ‘cause he didn’t want you to know.” 

“Wait, why not?” 

Kageyama shifts, uncomfortable. “The nobles—It… would have been difficult. I was already acting out by pretending to be someone I wasn’t so I could keybend, and it’s not like I could’ve done that forever. And _don’t_ you ask why I hid my identity to play, Hinata—” 

“I wasn’t going to!” 

“—and they were already all… uptight about my being an earthbender and Miwa not wanting the throne, so it would’ve just made things worse. Plus, it’s not like I ever thought I’d see you again.” 

“Wait,” Hinata cries out, “you just thought you’d spend three years playing our best keybending ever and then just—goodbye?!” 

“…Yes?” he tries.

“It’s not even ‘our best keybending ever’,” Tsukishima says, dry. “We never won gold.” 

Yamaguchi elbows him. “That’s not the point.” 

“So,” Yachi interrupts, “how did the two of you meet anyway? You never said.” 

Tsukishima looks at her and Kageyama, then grimaces. “Last summer, the museum I was working at was invited to give a presentation at the palace, what’s it called—” 

“Oh, that community program?” At Hinata’s confused look, Yachi elaborates, “It’s a yearly event to help a select number of upper ring businesses network. We applied, but didn’t get in.” 

“Aw, how could you, Kageyama!” Hinata teases. Kageyama rolls his eyes. 

“I had no say in the selection,” he deadpans. 

“Wait,” Yachi interrupts, “Tsukishima, the person who helped you get a meeting with the Prince was actually Kageyama? As in, the Prince himself?” 

“…Yes.” 

Kageyama shrugs. “Anyway, I ran into Tsukishima there. He brought up an idea about—introducing a national pro keybending league. Or international, if the other nations want in.”

“But I thought you didn’t play,” Hinata says. 

“I already told you,” he says, looking away. “I couldn’t have done it. I wanted to, obviously, but it’s not like—well, anyway. I thought having a pro league would be for intercommunity harmony, what with the war being over and people travelling between the nations more now than ever before. And I thought we could—remake our team, eventually, if I was lucky, and I could play again.” 

“Sounds good!” Hinata cheers. “I learned a lot in the Spirit World, Kageyama—you better get ready for when I beat you.” 

“How are you supposed to beat him if you’re playing on the same team?” Tsukishima drawls. 

Yamaguchi snorts. “That didn’t stop them before, Tsukki.” 

* * *

**Two Months Later**

“To your left!” Kageyama shouts. Hinata pivots on the ball of his foot and swiftly dodges the incoming barrage of rocks. “Keep going forward; I’ll cover!” 

Despite not having played with Hinata for two years—or playing much at all—the two of them make a well-oiled machine. As Hinata runs forward towards the key post, Kageyama moves to cover his back. The opposing waterbender puts out all Kageyama’s fires, but he fends them off long enough for Hinata to snag the key. 

Just as Hinata touches the ground, he is tackled to the ground by another opponent member. He drops the key and falls hard. His left palm and right forearm takes the brunt of his weight, but his head knocks into the ground at the last second. 

It hurts—likely more tomorrow than now—but it’s nowhere near how bad it would be if Yachi hadn’t designed their uniforms and protective gear. Not for the first time, Hinata is thankful Yachi agreed to stick around and help out. 

The opponent quickly earthbends the key away just as Hinata gets back on his feet, ready to chi-block. It doesn’t get to that. 

A rock flies through the air, courtesy of Yamaguchi, nailing the opponent in the stomach. Tsukishima immediately follows up by encasing the opponent in ice. 

“Get the chest!” he shouts. 

Hinata grabs the key from the ground—it didn’t get very far before Yamaguchi hit the opponent—and sprints towards the chest. Distantly, he can hear his teammates shouting and bending, and the cheers and jeers of the spectators. 

He turns the key, and the chest’s lid pops in. 

The referee blows the whistle. They win. 

Hinata whirls around. 

“We won!” Yamaguchi cries, barrelling towards Hinata. 

“You won!” Yachi shouts, somehow having made it onto the court. She throws her arms around them. A split-second later, Tsukishima and Kageyama join in on the group hug. 

“Yeah,” Hinata laughs, breathless, “we did it!” 

**Author's Note:**

> the fake sport they play in the fic is called 'keybending'; it's vaguely based off a sport from a different anime. i tried to make it as clear as possible, but feel free to ask if you have any questions. 
> 
> regardless, i hope you enjoyed; please let me know what you think! 
> 
> [tumblr](https://kousanoes.tumblr.com)


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